The present invention relates to an improved golf practice device, and more particularly, to an improved device for permitting golfers to practice their golf swings in relatively restricted or confined areas.
The game of golf is a popular sport, and in recent years, more and more people have been playing the game. In order to play golf proficiently, a golfer must develop and maintain a proper swing. One of the problems with playing golf is that normally a golfer has had to go to a golf course or driving range in order to practice his swing. However, a trip to a golf course or a driving range is relatively expensive and often may be quite time consuming. Consequently, there has long been a need for an inexpensive, relatively simple device which would permit a golfer to realistically practice his swing in a relatively restricted or confined area, such as in his yard or the like.
In the past, a variety of different devices have been proposed for the purpose of enabling a golfer to practice his swing in a relatively restricted or confined area. Several such devices are disclosed in U.S. Letters Pat. Nos. D165,196; 88,660; 1,259,933; 1,732,971; 1,857,588; 1,932,049; 1,199,518; 2,832,038; 2,961,241; 3,348,416; 3,444,741; 3,472,075; 3,656,759; 3,830,504; and in Japanese patent No. 892,665.
It is a primary object of my present invention to provide an improved golf practice device which provides realistic practice for a golfer's golf swing for both tee and fairway shots, which may be readily used by both right and left handed golfers, which may be used in a relatively restricted or confined area, and which may be relatively inexpensively manufactured so as to permit the successful commercialization thereof. More specifically, my improved golf practice device includes a molded plastic circular base having an integral, upright center post formed thereon. A unique center pin, driven in the ground, has its upper end disposed within a cavity formed within the center post to assist in securing the improved golf practice device to the ground. A plurality of unique pegs extend through a plurality of apertures evenly spaced about the periphery of the base to also secure the device to the ground.
A curved molded plastic arm is mounted, at one end, on the center post of the base so that the arm may rotate about the longitudinal axis of the center post in a horizontal plane spaced above the plane of the base. A cup member is formed at the other end of the arm and a golf-ball-like ball is nested and secured in the cup member so that a substantial portion of the ball is visible to the golfer using my improved golf practice device and so that the ball may be struck by a golfer properly swinging his golf club. When the ball is struck by a club, the ball, and thus the arm, rotates about the longitudinal axis of the center post. The arm is curved, as noted above, and extends beyond the periphery of the base, so that when the golfer addresses the ball, it appears to the golfer as if he were hitting the ball on the golf course or driving range.
The arm may be mounted on the center post so as to permit right handed golfers to use my improved device, i.e. with the ball facing in a counterclockwise direction, when the device is viewed from above. If my golf practice device is then to be used by a left handed golfer, the arm is removed from the center post, rotated 180.degree. about its longitudinal axis and then remounted on the center post so that the ball is facing in a clockwise direction when the device is viewed from above. A spacer ring is also adapted to be mounted on the center post and permits the height of the arm, as measured from the ground, to be adjusted between two positions, one position simulating fairway shots while the other position simulating tee shots.
One of the principal advantages of my improved golf practice device, from the standpoint of its commercialization, is that substantially all of the components of the device may be made from molded plastic. This substantially reduces the manufacturing cost of the device without any appreciable decrease in strength. In addition, the components may be manufactured so as to have an aesthetically pleasing appearance and this, of course, is also an extremely important consideration in connection with the successful marketing of today's leisure time products.
These and other objects and advantages of my present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment of my invention, described in connection with the accompanying drawings.